1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to paddles, and more particularly to an extremely light-weight racing paddle and a method of making the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In canoe racing, as in most racing sports, weight reduction is a factor of great significance. Minimizing the weight of a racing paddle is particularly significant since the paddle must be at all times supported entirely by the canoeist who, in the course of a canoe race, is subject to tremendous physical stress and fatigue. A weight reduction of even a few ounces may mean the difference between victory and defeat in a race where the paddle may be thrust into the water for several thousand strokes, each stroke utilizing an amount of energy determined in part by the weight of the paddle.
Furthermore, in canoe racing the paddle is used for both propelling the canoe and keeping it on course. To properly keep the canoe on course it is often necessary to move the paddle quickly from one side of the canoe to another. The speed of these motions together with the speed with which a paddle is withdrawn from the water at the end of a stroke and reinserted into the water to begin a new stroke is highly significant in any race since a fraction of a second delay in each movement of the paddle is multiplied by the thousands of paddle movements required to complete a race. Naturally, the weight of the paddle determines its momentum, and consequently determines the speed with which the paddle can be moved. Thus lightness of weight in the paddle is highly significant in maximizing the speed with which a racing paddle can be moved.
A need therefore exists for an extremely light-weight racing paddle, since such a paddle would clearly provide a significant competitive edge over other heavier paddles.
Naturally it is also necessary for a racing paddle to be rugged and reliable so that it has the strength to survive battering against rocks and the like which normally occurs in the course of a canoe race. Thus an ideal racing paddle must be light in weight while at the same time being strong and resistant to fracturing upon impact against rocks and the like.